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Big New Names Of 2011 Spark Festival Rush As HMV Next Big Thing Confirms Stellar Line Up

• 28th Jan 2011

HMV's festival-season-opener and live music showcase for emerging and breakthrough musicians – the hmv Next Big Thing has now signed up close to 150 new artists for its February 2011 shows, and is heading for a sell-out. Already 17 of the shows have sold out with more likely to follow suit as we approach the festival launch on 4th February 2011 (see confirmed line-up below).

The acts, which cover a wide range of music genres, will make up the bill of nearly 50 gigs to be staged at six HMV-owned MAMA venues in London – The Borderline, the Jazz Café, The Relentless Garage, Upstairs at the Relentless Garage, Heaven and the Camden Barfly as well as, for the first time, outside of the Capital at Birmingham's hmv Institute and at the hmv Picture House in Edinburgh.

The aim of the festival, which follows soon after the BBC announces its annual Sounds Poll winners, is to give music fans and gig-goers an early and affordable opportunity to see many of the new faces tipped for breakthrough success that they will have been hearing so much about. Tickets to any of the gigs are priced at just £10, and have been selling fast since they went on sale in December 2010, with shows by BRITs Critics Choice winner Jessie J, Fenech-Soler, Futures and Caitlin Rose already sold out.

There are 3 ways to buy: online at link; by phone at the hmvtickets call centre 0843 221 0100 or in person at hmvtickets box offices at selected HMV stores.

The hmv Next Big Thing 2011 is presented in association with Ted Baker – an enthusiastic supporter of new and cutting-edge talent, who will additionally host The Inbetweeners star James Buckley and his Common People at the Relentless Garage on February 4th to help kick off the festival, and Gaymers cider, who will host a number of the gigs and dance nights across the ten-day festival, including Caitlin Rose at the Camden Barfly, Jon Fratelli at the hmv Picture House and the Young Knives at the Relentless Garage. Billed as Gaymers Hotspots, these nights will look to showcase the very best in breakthrough talent. The festival's media partners are Time Out and Xfm – and the nation's favourite broadcaster of Indie music will also stage a New Music Award night ft. Wolf Gang as part of the festival. See quotes & testimonials, below.

The hmv Next Big Thing first launched in February 2010 – heralding the arrival of a number of new talents, including Ellie Goulding, Professor Green, Marina and the Diamonds, Paloma Faith, Eliza Doolittle and You Me At Six, who have all gone on to establish themselves in a big way following acclaimed debut albums.

Such has been the impact of the hmv Next Big Thing with fans and artists alike that this exciting new live brand will now also host a stage for new artists at The Great Escape 2011 festival in Brighton next May. The hmv Next Big Thing festival will additionally be recorded for broadcast as exclusive added-value content for the entertainment retailer’s hmv.com, hmvdigital.com and purehmv offers – tying-in as ‘bundle’ deals with record labels to support future album releases by the featured new artists.

HMV NEXT BIG THING 2011 LINE UP:

THE BORDERLINE
Friday, 4th Feb – James Blake + Catherine Okada + Cloud Boat (SOLD OUT)Saturday, 5th Feb – Transgressive Records presents: Gaggle + Dry The River + Marques Toliver + Transgressive DJs&
Sunday, 6th Feb – Chilly Gonzales + The Robot Heart
Monday, 7th Feb – Alice Gold + Yellow Wire + The Crookes (Gaymers Hotspot)
Tuesday, 8th Feb – Lauren Pritchard + Gabrielle Aplin + Natalie McCool
Wednesday, 9th Feb – XFM New Music Award night featuring: Wolf Gang + ROMANCE + Luna Belle
Thursday, 10th Feb – Communion night featuring Marcus Foster + Andrew Davie + Pete Roe + Daughter
Friday, 11th Feb – Clare Maguire + Saint Saviour + Murray James (SOLD OUT)
Saturday, 12th Feb – And So I Watch You From Afar + Lower Than Atlantis
Sunday, 13th Feb – Funeral For A Friend + The Blackout + Canterbury (SOLD OUT)

JAZZ CAFE
Friday, 4th Feb – Skepta + Talay Riley + Starboy Nathan
Saturday, 5th Feb – Mighty Mouse and Sunday Best presents: Herve, Mighty Mouse, David E Sugar, Sound Of Rum, compèred by The Mysterious Peno PLUS very special guest TBA
Monday, 7th Feb – Monarchy + Harrys Gym + Bright Light Bright Light
Tuesday, 8th Feb – The Pierces + Jonathan Jeremiah + Liam Bailey
Wednesday, 9th Feb – Josh Weller + Rose Elinor Dougall (acoustic set) + Mike Marlin
Thursday, 10th Feb – James Rhodes / William Fitzsimmons (co-headline show)
Friday, 11th Feb – Wretch 32 + Yasmin + Jodie Connor
Saturday, 12th Feb – Sivert Hoyem + Josephine
Sunday, 13th Feb – Sarah Blasko + Sophie Barker + Andy Smith (Portishead) DJ Set (SOLD OUT)

THE RELENTLESS GARAGE
Friday, 4th Feb – James Buckley's Common People presents: Pete & The Pirates + The Heartbreaks + States Of Emotion (Ted Baker Night)
Tuesday, 8th Feb – Little Dragon + Yoav + Stateless
Wednesday, 9th Feb – PIAS Presents: Young Knives + The Chapman Family + Mazes (Gaymers Hotspot)
Saturday, 12th Feb – The King Blues + Twin Atlantic + Sharks

UPSTAIRS AT THE RELENTLESS GARAGE
Friday, 4th Feb – Blow Up Night featuring Bongolian + Silvery + Baltic Fleet – followed by Blow Up club night with DJs Paul Tunkin and Ian Jackson – free entry to all gig ticket holders
Saturday, 5th Feb – Fenech-Soler + Mirrors + Is Tropical (SOLD OUT)
Sunday, 6th Feb – Sunday Girl + Emma’s Imagination + David J Roch (SOLD OUT)
Monday, 7th Feb – Memphis Industries Night ft. Dutch Uncles + Phoenix Foundation + Banjo Or Freakout (SOLD OUT)
Tuesday, 8th Feb – The Mummers + Family of the Year + Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Wednesday, 9th Feb – Brand New Music presents: Spark + Ed Drewett + Heart Kill Giant (SOLD OUT)
Thursday, 10th Feb – Moshi Moshi Night ft. James Yuill + CocknBullKid + Trophy Wife + Visions of Trees (SOLD OUT)
Friday, 11th Feb – Mute Incident No.1 featuring S.C.U.M + Big Deal + Daniel Miller DJ set
Saturday, 12th Feb – Communion ft. Matthew & The Atlas+ Treetop Flyers + Matt Corby + Rachel Sermanni (SOLD OUT)
Sunday, 13th Feb – Pete Lawrie + Leah Mason + The Roads

Heaven
Thursday, 10th Feb – The Airborne Toxic Event + Sissy And The Blisters + Morning Parade

CAMDEN BARFLY
Friday, 4th Feb – Anna Calvi + Sparrow And The Workshop + Paper Crows (SOLD OUT)
Saturday, 5th Feb – The Milk + plus s.guests 12 Dirty Bullets + Hedoniacs (Gaymers Hotspot) (SOLD OUT)
Sunday, 6th Feb – Jessie J (acoustic set) + Alex Clare + Emil (SOLD OUT)Monday, 7th Feb – Kassidy + Young The Giant + Kill It Kid
Tuesday, 8th Feb – The Japanese Popstars + Kid Adrift + Cassette Jam
Wednesday, 9th Feb – Katzenjammer + Lucinda Belle + The Chakras (SOLD OUT)
Thursday 10th Feb – Futures + Straight Lines + Minutes (SOLD OUT)
Friday 11th Feb – Caitlin Rose + Nathaniel Rateliff + Delta Maid (Gaymers Hotspot) (SOLD OUT)
Saturday, 12th Feb – Rival Sons + Vintage Trouble + Sons of Icarus (formerly The Fury)
Sunday, 13th Feb – Funeral Party + The Lines + Sound Of Guns (SOLD OUT)

HMV BIRMINGHAM INSTITUTE (Temple Room)
Tues, 8th Feb – Kassidy + The Velvet Texas Cannonball + Sam Sallon + James Summerfield (Gaymers Hotspot)

HMV PICTURE HOUSE Edinburgh
Saturday, 12th Feb – Jon Fratelli + Morning Parade + Lights Out Dresden (Gaymers Hotspot)